Mixing and dispensing valve



Oct 1 6 R. T. CORNELIUS 3,277,921

MIXING AND DISPENSING VALVE Filed Nov. 15, 1962 2 4 INVENTOR.

6 /0/9420 I OOP/VE/WS A TTORNE YS 3,277 ,921 Mill/KING AND DISPENSINGVALVE Richard T. Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to The CornelinsCompany, Anoka, Minm, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 15, 1962,Ser. No. 237,931 4 Claims. (Cl. 137607) This invention relates generallyto valve structures, and more specifically to an improved dispensingvalve for carbonated beverages which is constructed to mix together theingredients which jointly comprise such beverage, the invention alsorelating to the method of such mixing.

Although the principles of the present invention may be includedinvarious valves, faucets, or other dispensing devices, a particularlyuseful application is made in a valve or faucet of the type that isemployed to dispense carbonated beverages, commonly referred to as softdrinks.

It has been common heretofore to employ a valve having a single inletand a single outlet to dispense a previously mixed soft drink. It hasalso been common heretofore to employ a valve which separatelydischarges carbonated water and flavored syrup at its discharge end,such ingredients becoming subsequently mixed together during ensuingturbulence in the cup or glass being filled. This type of apparatus isnot always entirely satisfactory from a commercial stand-point since theconsurner frequently sees clear water being discharged. Anothertraditional method of mixing each carbonated beverages involves firstplacing a quantity of flavored syrup in a glass, and thereafter addingcarbonated water. This latter method involves two distinct steps oroperations, and also leaves the quality or richness of the drinkpartially up to the operator. Moreover, the supply of carbonated watershould properly have a somewhat higher degree of carbonation for certainbeverages, such as the cola type, than for other beverages, such as theorange type. One solution offered to these problems previously has beenthat soda fountain operators have installed one carbonation system forthe highly carbonated beverages, and a separate system for the low ormildly carbonated beverages. This solution is very commonplace, and isone reason why the public is familiar with seeing a separate orangedrink dispenser prominently displayed separately from other beveragesequipment requiring higher carbonation.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention of a singlemixing-dispensing valve may be employed receiving carbonated water froma single system, the device of this invention yet being able to mix anddischarge a drink with the proper proportion of syrup flavoring, andwith a selected degree of carbonation, thus overcoming the variousdisadvantages enumerated above or inherent in such prior equipment. Inthis invention, the beverage ingredients are thoroughly mixed within thevalve prior to discharge therefrom, the amount of flavored syrup ispredetermined by selection of an appropriately sized fixed orifice, andthe degree of carbonation is determed by use of an appropriately sizedorifice which adds the proper amount of non-carbonated water. Theforegoing results are obtained in a single device and in a single methodstep which are extremely simple to employ.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved dispensing valve.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and meansof producing a mixed carbonated beverage.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide adispensing valve of the mixing type wherein the valve proportions therelative quantities that are mixed together.

nited States Patent A still further object of the present invention isto provide a dispensing valve of the mixing type which is so constructedthat it may readily be adapted to produce a beverage having a selectedproportion of each ingredient that is mixed together.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon makingreference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet ofdrawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating theprinciples of the present invention is shown by way of illustrativeexample.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a liquid dispensing deviceconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid dispensingdevice of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIIII of FIGURE 2;and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of an element of the device.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodiedin a liquid dispensing device, faucet, or mixing valve such asillustrated in FIGURE 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. Thedispensing device 10 includes a housing generally indicated at 11, afirst valve member 12, a second valve member 13, and a third valvemember identical to the valve 13 located immediately behind it in FIGURE2. The valve members have molded seats, such as shown on the valve 13.The housing 11 includes a valve body 14 and a mounting bracket 15. Themounting bracket 15 is provided with a threaded portion 16 which may beinserted through a mounting panel (not shown) so that a flange 17thereon engages such panel. The dispensing device 10 further includes avalve element actuator assembly 18 which acts through an actuator plate42 against the valve members in such manner that all are opened andclosed.

The housing body 14 is provided with an inlet passage 19 within whichthe valve member 12 is disposed, and which is particularly adapted byits smooth internal configuration to conduct a relatively large quantityof highly carbonated water. To this end, if desired, there may also beprovided in the inlet passage 19 an insert 21 having a smooth bore orconduit passage which minimizes turbulence in the flowing liquid. Thehousing body 14 includes a second inlet passage 21, and a third inletpassage identical to the inlet passage 21 located immediately behind itin FIGURE 2. (not shown). Within each of the inlet passages such as 21there is disposed a removable orifice member 22 which has a conduitpassage extending to a sharp edge orifice 23 of fixed size for meteringor proportioning the relative quantities of the ingredients to be used.Thus, one of the orifices 23 determines the volumetric rate of flow offlavored syrup, and the other orifice identical to the orifice 23determines the rate of flow of plain or non-carbonated water to be mixedwith the highly carbonated water. Since the orifice members 22 areremovable, they are replaceable with a similar member having a slightlydifferent effective orifice size so that a particular dispensing device11} may be modified or adapted selectively to discharge a predeterminedpro. portion of each of the liquids to be mixed whereby an optimum orideal resulting mixture or beverage is obtained.

All the inlet passages such as 19 and 21 merge together at theirdownstream end, downstream of the valve mem bers such as 12 and 13, toform a single outlet passage 24 in the housing body 14. Mixing of theliquid ingredients begins at the point where the inlet passages mergewith the outlet passage, and by the time that the liquid is dischargedfrom the device 10, the various liquid components are thoroughly mixed.

The valve body 14 has an internal shoulder 43 directed toward acylindrical cavity 26, within which there is disposed an insert retainerbushing 27 which has a face 28 which fixedly abuts the housing shoulder43. The retainer bushing 27 is provided with three bores 29, 30, 31which extend from the face 28 to a face 25 in alignment with thepassages 19, 21, 21. The valve insert and the orifice members 22 arereceived therein and extend into the inlet passages 19, 21, 21, eachbeing provided with an O-ring 44 or 45 forming a static seal. The insert20 and the orifice members 22 are further each provided with radiallyextending fingers or flange portions 46, 47 which are disposed againstthe face 25, and which are clamped thereagainst by a clamping nut 32which has a flange 33 that acts axially on a sleeve 34 which presses theflange 33 that acts axially on a sleeve 34 which presses the fingers 46,47 against the face of the retainer bushing 27. The valve insert 20 andthe orifice members 22 each have means to connect each of the conduitpassages to separate fluid supplies, such as those named, such meanshere comprising integral fittings such as 36-37. Thus, the fitting 36may be connected to a supply of highly carbonated water, one fitting 37may be connected to a supply of noncarbonated water, and the otherfitting 37 may be connected to a supply of flavored syrup.

It is presumed that the fluid pressures present at the conduit passagesare substantially constant within each passage. Therefore, when thevalve members 12, 13, 13 are fully opened by the actuator 18, theorifice 23 and the similar orifice in the adjacent passage respectivelycomprise the minimum flow area in each such passage, whereby each iseffective to determine the volumetric rate of flow therethrough.

The broad principles underlying this invention may be practiced by otherstructures, and to that end I wish to point out that my inventionincludes the method of producing a mixed mildly carbonated beveragewhich comprises simultaneously mixing together a controlled orpredetermined ratio of highly carbonated water, uncarbonated water, andflavored syrup. This method is particularly advantageous for producinglow carbonated drinks such as orange drinks using apparatus that isadapted to produce high carbonated drinks such as of the cola orlemon-lime type.

In a typical carbonated beverage, five volumes of water having a desireddegree of carbonation are employed for each volume of syrup.

The orifice 23 is preferably of the sharp-edged type since this type oforifice is substantially free of viscosity effects, and hence thetemperature of syrup in the syrup line is not a variable which must beclosely controlled in order to maintain the proper ratio of syrup towater. The quantity of carbonated water employed is determined by theeffective size of the line or the insert 20, in combination with asubstantially constant upstream pressure.

When the actuator 18 is disposed as shown in FIGURE 2, the various valvemembers such as 12 and 13 are closed as illustrated. The actuatorassembly 18 includes and is supported by a bracket portion 39 held by ascrew 40 which screw also holds together the body 14 and the mountingportion 15 of the housing 11. The handle of the actuator assembly 18 ispivoted on a pin 41. The actuator assembly 18 further functionallyincludes the member or actuator plate 42, shown in FIGURE 4, havingthree recesses or dimples 49 directed to the right, as shown in FIGURE2, each receiving an end of one of the valves 12, 13, and an additionalcentrally disposed recess 50 directed to the left and receiving a convexportion 51 of the actuator handle. When the handle is pivoted, force istransmitted to the recess 50 and the plate 42 will rock slightly on theconvex portion 51 to enable joint full opening of each of the threevalves, the handle being pivotable in an opening direction and the plate42 being rockable until all the valves have individually opened fully.Upon release of the handle, the various valve springs such as 48 willreturn the device to the illustrated position. A vent 52 allows air thento enter the outlet passage 24 enabling full drainage thereof.

In certain instances, it maybe desirable to omit or to seal off theconduit passage which normally is connected to the non-carbonated supplyof water. By doing so, the device 10 is adapted to produce a highlycarbonated beverage. Where such nonuse of these features is contemplatedin advance, the associated components for handling and metering thenon-carbonated water may also be omitted if desired.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versedin the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within thescope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonablyand properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having a pair of separate inlet passages each adapted atone end to be connected to separate supplies of fluid and mergingtogether at the other end to form a single outlet passage adapted todischarge such fluids;

(b) a pair of valve members each supported by said housing and disposedin said pair of separate inlet passages respectively, and each beingadapted to be reciprocated into passage opening and in passage closingpositions;

(0) A movable actuator supported on said housing; and

(d) a member supported by said actuator and said valve means and havinga rocking connection with said actuator, and said member having afurther pair of rocking connections with said pair of said valve membersfor effecting joint full opening of each of said valve members.

2. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having a pair of separate inlet passages each adapted atone end to be connected to separate supplies of fluid and mergingtogether at the other end to form a single outlet passage adapted todischarge such fluids;

(b) a pair of valve members each supported by said housing and disposedin said pair of separate inlet passages respectively, and each beingadapted to be reciprocated into passage opening and into passage closingpositions;

(c) a movable actuator supported on said housing;

and

(d) a member supported by said actuator and said valve members andhaving a pair of rocking connections with said valve members, and afurther rocking connection with said actuator, disposed intermediatesaid first-named rocking connections, for effecting jointindividually-full opening of all of said valve members.

3. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having three separate inlet passages each adapted at oneend to be connected to separate supplies of fluid and merging togetherat the other end to form a single outlet passage adapted to dischargesuch fluids;

(b) three valve members each supported by said housing and disposed insaid three separate inlet passages respectively, and each being adaptedto be reciprocated into passage opening and into passage closingpositions;

(c) a movable actuator supported on said housing;

and

(d) a member having three triangularly arranged rocking connections withsaid valve members, and a fourth rocking connection with said actuator,disposed centrally of said three rocking connections, for effectingjoint individually-full opening of all of said valve members.

4. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) an externally threaded housing having a pair of separate inletpassages merging together at their downstream ends into a single outletpassage, and terminating at their upstream ends in a single circularrecessed face fixedly disposed within said housing substantiallyconcentric with its external threads;

(b) a pair of valve members each supported by said housing and disposedin said pair of separate inlet passages respectively, and being adaptedto be reciprocated jointly into passage opening and into passage closingpositions;

(0) means adapting the upstream ends of said inlet passages to beconnected to separate supplies of fluid, said means comprising a pair ofaxially slidably removable inserts respectively disposed in said inletpassages, said inserts each having a radially projecting flange disposedagainst said fixed face;

(d) a tubular bushing encircling the outer ends of said inserts andengaging said flanges thereof, said bushing projecting from saidhousing; and

(e) an annular clamping nut threaded to the outside of said housing andhaving a flange engaging the projecting end of said tubular bushing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,838 6/ 1912Wittemann 9979 1,243,068 10/1917 Humphrey 99-79 2,062,097 11/1936Lingard 137-607 X 2,645,246 7/1953 Segal 137607 X 2,673,005 3/1954 Brown137-607 X 2,921,605 1/1960 Booth 137607 X 2,932,432 4/1960 Beard 2223942,932,433 4/ 1960 Abplanalp 222394 3,084,718 4/1963 Ash 251118 X3,112,656 12/1963 Cary 137607 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

A. LOUIS MONOCELL, ISADOR WEIL, Examiners.

M. GREENSTEIN, J. ONEILL, D. LAMBERT,

Assistant Examiners.

1. A DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOUSING HAVING APAIR OF SEPARATE INLET PASSAGES EACH ADAPTED AT ONE END TO BE CONNECTEDTO SEPARATE SUPPLIES OF FLUID AND MERGING TOGETHER AT THE OTHER END TOFOMR A SINGLE OUTLET PASSAGE ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE SUCH FLUIDS; (B) APAIR OF VALVE MEMBERS EACH SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED INSAID PAIR OF SEPARATE INLET PASSGES RESPECTIVELY, AND EACH BEING ADAPTEDTO BE RECIPROCATED INTO PASSAGE OPENING AND IN PASSAGE CLOSINGPOSITIONS; (C) A MOVABLE ACTUATOR SUPPORTED ON SAID HOUSING; AND (D) AMEMBER SUPPORTED BY SAID ACTUATOR AND SAID VALVE MEANS AND HAVING AROCKING CONNECTION WITH SAID ACTUATOR, AND SAID MEMBER HAVING A FURTHERPAIR OF ROCKING CONNECTIONS WITH SAID PAIR OF SAID VALVE MEMBERS FOREFFECTING JOINT FULL OPENING OF EACH OF SAID VALVE MEMBERS.